


and when you go, take this heart

by caprileo



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Lazy Mornings, Post-Game, hc that neither of them are morning people, like after their ending, this is soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-08-10 09:35:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20133277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caprileo/pseuds/caprileo
Summary: byleth feels a heartbeat for the first time.





	and when you go, take this heart

It was still strange, being able to sleep in in the mornings.

As she slowly awakened, Byleth remembered the countless days she had to wake up early in the morning, every part of her body aching from the grueling battles she took part in. Often, the second she opened her eyes, she was filled with dread of what the day would bring. Even days with no battles were exhausting, and every morning Byleth woke up feeling like she hadn't slept a minute.

But this morning, Byleth woke up to something different. Milky rays of morning sunlight shone through the gauzy white curtains. It was a peaceful quiet, punctuated by birds faintly chirping outside and the sound of Claude's slow, steady breathing as Byleth laid her head on his chest. He was warm, and smelled faintly of cinnamon, and Byleth had never felt so safe and calm in her entire life.

Maybe sleeping in a few more minutes wouldn't hurt.

She shifted slightly, pressing herself closer to him. She had almost dozed back off when she heard a peculiar noise. It sounded as if it was coming from inside Claude. A steady, repetitive thudding, like a drum. Byleth opened her eyes, the clutches of sleep still blurring the edges of her vision.

"What's that sound?" she asked. There was a beat of silence. Claude inhaled sharply as he awoke.

"What sound?" he replied, his voice still hoarse with sleep. Byleth blinked.

"There's a... sound... coming from inside of you." She lifted her head to look up at him. His hair was messy, and he looked very much groggy.

"Uh..." Claude paused for a moment, sounding slightly alarmed. After another beat a look of realization crossed his face. "Wait... you mean my heartbeat?"

"That's what it is?" Byleth replied, raising her eyebrows. Claude nodded. 

"I had forgotten. You have a pulse, but no heartbeat, right?" he asked. Byleth nodded slowly, then put her head back on his chest, listening intently. She realized that not only could she hear the beat, but she could feel it too. She knew what a pulse felt like, but this feeling was somehow different and foreign.

"It's... it sounds different now," she said quietly. "It's going faster, I think. Is it supposed to do that?" Claude smiled.

"Yeah. Your heartbeat changes speeds sometimes."

"How can you tell?"

"It's just something you feel," he replied. Byleth could feel the rumble of his voice when he spoke. "When you're sleeping or resting, it slows down." He paused. "And certain things can make it speed up. Sometimes you can even feel it pounding in your head, if it's going fast enough."

"That's... unsettling," Byleth replied, frowning slightly.

"But it's not always a bad feeling," said Claude. "Sometimes it's kind of exhilarating."

"What makes it speed up, though?" Byleth asked, lifting up her head again. Claude yawned before he spoke.

"Usually strong emotions, like anger or fear. But also when you're really excited, or..." he smiled warmly. "When you feel love for someone." Byleth's cheeks flushed pink, and she held his gaze for a moment before offering a smile back.

She then laid her head back on his chest and closed her eyes. Claude breathed in deeply as they settled back in to a comfortable quiet. The steady rise and fall of his breathing was almost enough to lull Byleth back to sleep.

"I kind of like it," she said quietly as she continued to listen to his heartbeat. "It's calming." Claude gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, then began running his fingers through her hair gently.

"Well, you can listen for as long as you like," said Claude. "Even for the whole rest of the day, if you want." Byleth smiled. 

"I may take you up on that offer."

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at 2am despite having a really bad headache bc I love them a lot


End file.
